It’s been three months since the good Mozzers allowed my SEO from a Newb’s Perspective to see the light of day, and I’m back for another round. Except now HappyBrooke has had a dose of reality.
That’s right — I’ve hit some potholes. And I found out that Brooke's list of essential qualities SEO pros need (which I listed in the last post), though it didn't claim to be comprehensive, lacked one: the ability to be resilient. Props to Heather Baker for noting this in the comments. In this post, I’ll share my fledgling thoughts on how to cultivate resilience in the face of failure. As Heather pointed out, if you want to do SEO well, you've gotta be resilient.
My friends who are, like me, "newbs" to SEO will probably find my epiphanies more helpful than those of you who are old hat. But no doubt veterans have developed strategies on how to stay resilient in your daily battles to rank. If you’re willing to share your strategies with me in the comments below, I'd be tickled.
Why SEO is a bumpy ride
As you and I both know, SEO done right can pay off in tremendous ways for our clients: through website traffic, conversions, brand awareness, loyalty, and retention (just to name a few perks that come from online marketing success). If you can rank, you can reap the benefits.
But there are no guarantees.
In my first four months on the job as an SEO, I’ve not experienced a major Earth-shifting Google algorithm update (yet), but I have experienced the daily joys and challenges of our field. You all know how it goes.
Since starting my job at Happy Dog, this has all happened to me:
- I gained clients, and I lost a client.
- I created content people liked, and I created content nobody gave a rip about.
- I watched rankings skyrocket, and I watched rankings drop it like it's hot.
Boy-oh-boy am I realizing that to do SEO, you need a healthy dose of Dory’s “just keep swimming” resilience at times.
Credit: Tumblr
Watching the analytics and the SERPs, just waiting for traffic and rankings, feels awfully like trying to get a fire going at a summer night's bonfire (without the fun of hot dogs and s'mores). You stare into the flames and wait for a spark. Add another log. The fire dies down. You shiver. You frantically run to find twigs. Finally: a tiny blaze! Hallelujah! Then suddenly, a major gust of wind blows it out. Nooooooo!
I don’t know about you, but my emotions follow a pretty specific pattern when I’m idling in no-rank-land. First, I’m frustrated. My client has a great business. He/she deserves better rankings. But then I feel a sense of entitlement: I'm putting in the hours, so it's maddening that my work isn't paying off. I feel desperate. My client is paying me to achieve results. Am I a failure? Stricken with grief, I eat candy bars and slump in my desk chair drinking straight from the coffee pot.
What comes next? Well, I’m hired to help our clients optimize their web presence. I’m expected to drive traffic — my clients will not twiddle their thumbs and wait patiently. The pressure’s on. What am I going to do?
The eventual outcome of this whole emotional journey is that I get a grip (finally) and muster up whatever resilience I have. Then here's what I'm learning to do: to take a marker to the good ol’ proverbial drawing board to see what can be done. This moment, my friends, is the essence of what we do in SEO.
It’s not easy being creative
The reason SEO is so challenging/exhilarating/frustrating/tiring/overwhelming is that, as many experts have already pointed out, there’s no secret formula to earn links, start ranking, and succeed at search engine marketing. There are literally as many ways as your creative mind can dream up, which means you could see astounding results if you climb out on a limb or you could see no results at all and completely, totally flop.
There’s a risk to every creative endeavor we undertake. When we do it on behalf of someone else, the risk increases. In the face of all this pressure, we have to learn how to embody resilience — every day, every hour, every minute, no matter what the analytics are saying.
I’m learning that just because I try a tactic and it doesn’t work, that doesn’t mean I have failed. I’m going to be honest for a minute and shed some light on three of my “failures” in the hopes that you will a) realize you’re not alone, and b) get some ideas of how to move forward.
Brooke’s SEO Blunders
I'm still learning Photoshop. Please don't judge.
1. Nobody wanted my content
Problem: I spent hours pouring research and creativity into blog posts for a client and then pitching them to appropriate platforms. For weeks, nobody bit.
What I did next: Tweaked the ideas, made tiny edits, and re-pitched the content. People were unimpressed, so I created more content with gusto. Then I set aside the content nobody wanted for the time being and revisited it when I’d had a little space to see if I had any new ideas to improve it. Turns out, I did.
Reality check: Failing to attract an audience’s attention is an age-old dilemma for artists (which we are). Hey, if there’s anything I learned from my college creative writing classes, it’s that if you expect a standing ovation for everything you write, get ready to be disappointed, hon. Plenty of writers spent years writing and pitching tomes that nobody wanted to publish (poor Jack Kerouac had On the Road done in three weeks, or so he claimed, but it took the guy years to find a publisher). Unless you’re already a smashing success, you’re not entitled to anybody’s attention.
How to stay resilient: Learn from the rejection and tweak your overall strategy. Was the content too shallow or too technical? Did you choose an angle or approach that didn’t jam with your audience? Was the platform you chose to publish on the wrong fit for the content? Try something new next time. Don’t fret. You can’t hit it out of the ballpark every time.
2. I lost a client
Problem: All throughout the first few months of their campaign, my client seemed wishy-washy, always about to give up. I played cheerleader on every phone call and email, promising that the rankings for their brand-new, beautiful site were going to improve. But the client, waiting for the leads to roll in, was getting antsy. Just as things were getting exciting on the SEO-side, they bailed.
What I did next: My boss and I did a “What went wrong?” analysis, and we affirmed that the campaign had been solid. The rankings had been slow to come by, but forecasting a month or two down the road, we saw that things were looking up. However, we realized how important it is to check in with our clients and make sure they are happy — this client had had questions but never raised them with us. This experience made us resolve to check in more often and create that opportunity to talk about our clients’ concerns.
Reality check: Even if you perform high-quality work, clients often expect to get leads and see results in a shorter time period than it may take to achieve them. It is important to clearly articulate to your clients that in SEO, “slow and steady wins the race.” In our case, we should have communicated more with our client and made sure they did not have unrealistic expectations of us.
How to stay resilient: If you do a good job but still lose the client, don’t hang your head in shame. The thing is, there will always (or at least often) be a better strategy you could have used. Losing a client can be an opportunity to reflect on how well your strategy worked. With SEO, even the best strategies take time, and you can’t force your clients to be patient. All you can do is focus on providing the best quality SEO services that you can.
3. I couldn’t figure out how to market a client in a boring, “blah” industry
Problem: The day they called to request SEO services, I couldn’t even wrap my head around their product. Wait, so what do you guys do again?
What I did next: I changed their entire keyword strategy three times, didn't sleep, and tossed idea after idea out the window. Honestly, this was a tough one. One thing that helped (at my client’s suggestion) was having learning sessions with them on the benefit their product provides. When I started to grasp that, it was easier to drum up ideas (I'm still drumming).
Reality check: Not every client will be easy to market. Some industries are just doozies.
How to stay resilient: Nick Stagg from Lemonpromotions brought up a great question in the comments on my first post: “How do you make a plumber sound sexy?” How, indeed? There are probably hundreds of ways to go about it. Overall, I think promoting the plumber will involve four steps:
- Understanding the unique value the plumber provides,
- Knowing who needs his/her services,
- Succinctly articulating his/her value, and
- Creatively sharing it.
Takeaways
If you're stumped or failing:
- Talk to your clients. Keep the relationship strong. Share your resilience with them. In no-rank land, they'll need it, too. Let their enthusiasm for and expertise in their field revitalize you.
- Try new things. Be adventurous. Experiment with new content or approaches. Sometimes failure propels us out of the box we were stuck in when nothing else can.
- Give yourself a break. Don't make yourself miserable by wallowing in continual blame and guilt. Everybody fails! But dwelling on it for too long will prevent you from moving forward.
Whatever you take away from this reflection (I hope it’s not just dissatisfaction at my attempts to provide solutions to common SEO ailments — comment below with your better ideas! I long to hear them!), remember that we’re all still learning how to do this business in an ethical, effective, exciting way. If you fail once, or fail again and again, cultivate resilience. Return to that drawing board. Remember that at the end of the day, your integrity and the connections you make with your clients are the most important things - not your ability to make them rank.
My impression of the SEO community after just a few months of reading blogs and forums is that you people are hungry for the tools and tips to do your jobs better. You don’t want to just do an okay job. You want to succeed, and you want to do it in big, beautiful, bold ways. When you experience discouragement, consider J.K. Rowling’s words in her commencement speech at Harvard back in 2008 (they apply to SEO and to life in general):
“It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all — in which case, you fail by default.”
Fail, but do it resiliently. And get back up. You’ll do better next time.
Hi Brooke, I still think you're Happy. :-) I also think this might be the last post you'll be able to write and still call yourself a "newb." You're getting quite good at this SEO thing. Seriously though, I really enjoy your tone and I think the frustrations and lessons you describe resonate with the entire community. I think it's really important to be able to admit to a stakeholder or a client that you may have been wrong about something. I remember getting on a soap box about our site's navigation not being crawlable by Google because it was javascript. I went on and on in an email illustrating to the CEO why Google couldn't crawl our navigation menu. A day later our IT Director responded "No, our menu is not javascript, it's HTML. We choose this particular menu for exactly that reason."
I felt like a 3-inch tall idiot.
I had to admit that I was completely wrong.
If nothing else, it was a good serving of humble pie....which isn't necessarily a bad thing to have once in a while. It certainly taught me to do my homework before going on the warpath.
Thanks for writing. I enjoy your style and engaging tone.
Thanks for sharing your own "failure story," Danatanseo :) I don't think anybody enjoys the vulnerable feeling of being corrected. However, like you point out, the experience of being brought low can and does help us foster humility. Another important trait! Thanks for reading :)
I read your first Post and now reading this part! I think Dana is right, you cannot use newb with you any more as you have tasted almost every part of the game (losing a client, when it’s not you) I mean this is the most painful part... and also the certificate that will take you out from newb to professional tag!
Hi, next time just disable java and other scripts in your browser , then you will easily see what kind of menu there is :-)
I once learned the (important!) difference between broad match and exact match monthly search statistics the hard way. I poured a lot of effort into creating a killer niche site targeting a keyword that had a ton of (broad match) traffic coming to it. Using only whitehat methods, I ranked #3 and #4 in Google in 3 wks, and #1 in two months (duh) only to find that fewer than 100 people were searching my exact keyword phrase each month. It so happened that my keyword was closely related to a really popular one that was responsible for boosting the broad match stats! But I learned that lesson well and my other ventures have benefited immensely.
Absolutely failure is what leads to success in SEO industry. Its important to keep trying new things, experiment a lot to find out what works the best online in any niche. Every SEO must be active in blogging and focus on making their blog the best in that niche, this will make them learn a lot and teach others in the process.
Let's start with your hand cream. St Ives really? That does not provide the level of hand moisture needed to do SEO. Consider some Kiehls or something a little more high end.
From a structural engagement point of view you really killed it with this post:
1. awesome pic in the header
2. made us all feel bad for you
3. great title
4. finally a different kind of post here on youmoz
keep up the good work young lady, you have a bright future!
Glad you enjoyed it, Patrick. Maybe I do need to consider better lotion. My St. Ives is almost gone anyways :) Thanks for your encouragement and for reading! This is the type of post I can offer right now (as a beginner) and so I'm doing what I can, even though it's not the "typical" MOZ post. I'm glad people are finding it engaging.
The only mistake in a failure is failure to learn from it :)
@HappyBrooke strikes again! :)
Well, there are days when I binge on Snickers and gulp RedBull cans too. I'd like to share some tips that taught me how to deal with such situations -
1. Proactive & Ongoing Communication - I'v observed that clients who are well informed about the progress, risks and timelines are less likely to give you a hard time.
2. Find out if I was really being stupid - I'd like to cross check my efforts by asking for feedback from seniors or non-seo's to know if I am actually not moving in the right direction, whether its content I created or some on page SEO, anything. Sometimes, we are not able to find an obvious spot. (I am not including the ranking metrics / leads etc. because that's exactly where the client's are looking at ) And if there's a gap, my first step is to correct it, then notify the client (if needed) and third is to learn from it.
3. Leave on a good note - Because of the fact that I feel too responsible for any client's business, I don't like leaving at a bad note. More-so, I hate the stress that follows up. So, though I try to retain and satisfy all my clients, but if at any point the client wants to quit, I make sure that before we part ways I clear up everything that's pending on my side, hand over any important reports or docs he may need etc. all in a very responsible and professional manner. I try every possibility to leave on a healthy note.
Last, but not the least, I shake up and speak to myself - "Lift your head up Princess.. if not, the Crown Falls !" Moving on with full power & positive attitude is really important to survive here.
Cheers,
KAS
I love your attitude! You're right, it's imperative to do work that no matter what happens with the client or their business, leaves you able to hold your head high. May your tips and our shared desire to persevere protect us from the candy and the energy drinks now and in the future :)
A well-timed article that really resonated with me, as I'm in the fifth month of my first employed position as a professional SEO and experiencing all the same highs and lows as you Brooke. Although I came to the job with an awful lot of theory and a couple of years putting it into practice on my own behalf and that of a few small clients, there's now the extra pressure of convincing my employer that I know what the heck I'm doing, despite the blips!
I hope your growing resilience goes hand in hand with growing success in the future.
Great post! Glad to have your perspective again.
One point that really hit home was #1 - nobody wanted my content. Sometimes I feel like only the big names out there can have people interested in what they have to say. I do research and I think I am writing an article that will knock the other articles written about this subject off the google map. And it doesn't. It doesn't even get a click.
I guess you've got to keep on trying ;-).
Definitely agree with Rachael. I created tons of contents and only a few gets traction while the others get a few hits and forever forgotten. Definitely the biggest blunder to get over.
Oh, it's so hard to swallow the flop of a piece of content. Even now, I'm watching this blog post and crossing my fingers for engagement. Right? I mean, we so desperately want people to listen! And to find our words useful somehow. Thankfully, publication is fast these days, and we can indeed try again. Thank you both for reading and commenting, it means a lot!
Definitely true. Dale Carnegie wrote that "the deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated."
I agree that content that doesn't get shared is frustrating, but it's not a flop. Even if it's not a hit, it's still food for the Google machine. If one publisher doesn't pick it up, another will, sooner or later. I thought my blog post on SEOs being Lando Calrissian would kill it! But nope, crickets. <sigh>
@HappyBrooke.. If only you knew how refreshing your posts are, you convey in a light-hearted, well written manner what so many of us SEO feel like on a daily basis (though you will get used to it as it will continue to happen in much the same way - only difference you will ride the waves that much easier). Bravo and congrats on the Moz promotion.
Brooke,
Great post, I have a question and few thoughts on the "Non-Sexy" business. You ask, "How do we make a plumber sexy?"
My question is, "Why does a plumber need to be sexy to get found in search?"
I do SEO in the insurance industry. There is nothing less sexy than insurance and what I've found is that we don't need to be sexy, we need to be consistent and deliberate and personal. People need and want the information we have and good SEO in non-sexy industries is much more an effort in Content Marketing than traditional SEO.
Just a thought,
Hanley
Thanks for contributing a really good point here, Hanley. You're absolutely right that we don't need to make anybody "sexy" to be found in search. But we do have to make them stand out - which is often done through deliberate, personal content marketing, as you smartly note. I agree that the goal is not "sexy" - the goal is to provide what people want. So maybe the whole heart of the matter is that our job is to position our clients as attractive, in whatever sense of the word, to their target market, by meeting their needs, and not just dazzling them. But either way, creating what people are looking for. Great example with insurance - I'm sure most of your job is trying to understand what users online are looking for, what will attract their interest and meet their needs, and creating it. Which is what we all should be doing.
Losing a client is nightmare.
Some client doesn't know about SEO they want ranking in Google Only. They don't want any types of excuses like Penguin, panda and EMD update. Some client not eager to provide offers, discount on product, if we suggest rejected. In that situation its very hard to promote, ranks good in SERPs.
Losing clients is a nightmare. However, like many other people it sometimes can be beneficial. If you lost them for something in your control, learn from it and move on. If it something out of your control, good riddance as they will have the same issues w/another agency and will save you time and energy because you probably worked above and beyond to keep them.
The majority of clients a firm receives left another firm. So it is essential to understand why and assess if it was a client or agency issue. If it's a client issue--it may be a good idea to pass to reduce what was described above.
Thanks for sharing this Brooke :) I think we all have our bad days and next time I find myself at a "slump in my desk chair drinking straight from the coffee pot", I'll reflect back on this article!
This is a great post. I've just started an SEO internship (first time going it alone without working at an agency!) and it's been a bit daunting. I'm having a lot of fun getting back on the proverbial horse, but it wasn't until I read this post that I realized that my fear of failing is the biggest contributor. It's always good to know that there's others who are in a similar situation, so thank you for writing this post.
All the best as you continue in your internship! I had hoped that by being honest about my own failures, others could relate, and that we could all have the courage to keep trying. It's just an industry where success isn't guaranteed, as many have noted, but creativity is rewarded. Thanks for reading :)
Brooke - well done - and the sweet wouldn't be as sweet without the sour. I love how HONEST you are with everything - as I too have been feeling rather discouraged - trying to keep up with all the new changes in SEO, tech, tools etc. So I have implemented a few rules. Stay true - and always deliver the best you can to your clients and NOW just KEEP SWIMMING!
Your pal,
Chenzo
Nicely put, Chenzo. Yes, I think Dory's wisdom, however unpolished (and coming from an animated fish), is powerful. Thanks for reading :)
Brooke,
I can relate to each of the points you make. They are similar to my own experiences. I come to SEO after spending years on the content side of things, and what I have found as a tremendous help is the extraordinary SEO community, who have shown themselves to be very generous with their time, input and insight.
Thanks very much for sharing, Brooke.
RS
So glad you could relate, Ronell. It is truly an extraordinary community - I find it incredible that people will dive in and offer help instantly. I'm also encouraged by the eagerness I see of long-time link builders to turn the ship in a new direction and market online in more holistic, content-centered, user-oriented ways that go beyond just link building and keyword usage.
Thanks for this great motivational post. There is way more to learn from a mistake than from a success. If everybody knows Rome was not build in one day, perseverance is a quality very hard to grow.
I love the way you write. Every now and again even when you have been doing this a while you experience the roller coaster of emotions if something isn't performing the way you want.
You also get better identifying those customers who will drop off after a few months no matter what you do for them, no matter how many leads your bring them, because they simply are not committed. I'm now even considering not taking these clients on in the first place.
Fantastic post Brooke, just like the last one :) It's great to read the experiences of those struggling to get to grips with this SEO thing, IMO it gives a little moment of calm to anyone who isn't 100% confident (which should be about 99% of us!) and I will certainly be sharing this around! Thanks again :)
Forget about everything, if I have to sum everything in one word that will be - communication.
Talk to your client and maintain this for the long term - you'll be shocked how small small talk, even for once a week, can make the whole difference.
Thanks for the great advice, Brooke! This post came at just the right time as I'm a newb and will be getting my own clients pretty soon. I'm super excited and nervous at the same time. I know that there are going to be times when I feel as though I'm failing or just not doing well enough, but I am definitely going to keep your message to "stay resilient" with me.
I also liked your point about the client having questions but not asking them. That's something that I will try to learn from for when I have my own clients. In this industry there is a lot less face to face interaction in which you can read your client , so that makes it all the more important to check in with them as much as possible.
Being available to answer questions - and encouraging questions - helps a ton. I don't think anyone wants to look "ignorant" and so maybe clients don't ask questions because they think they don't really know enough to ask them, even if they feel uneasy about your work or the information gap. Creating phone time, face time, any place where they can bring up questions to you is key. I'm working on doing that better! Thanks for reading and all the best to you!
Resilience is definitely an undervalued trait! I wouldn't say resilience and patience are critical for SEO, but they'll certainly make your job (and your life) easier.
I think we've all had slump-at-our-desk-and-eat-candy moments. :-) When I'm having a tough time on a project, one of my first impulses is to have another cup/pot of coffee and power through it, but often that isn't actually the best response. It's important to remember to take breaks and not to overwork yourself (which is not to say slack off). Clearing your mind can give you a new perspective on a project and nobody benefits from a burnt out SEO. ;-)
Put the candy bar down and back slowly away from your desk. The number on this list I struggle the most with is #3, and maybe that is where being truly creative comes the most into play?
I definitely think the more creative we can be, the better, with the more challenging industries. But I'm also learning that knowing your client, their strengths, their uniqueness, and their customers' points of pain is vital when it comes to content creation. Because no matter how boring or "blah" the industry is to some people, if your client is offering something valuable, to their customers they are not boring or blah - they are extremely important!
Great post, Brooke.
Regarding #2, you never know... they might come back. I've seen it before when a client has bailed just as things have started to take off, and then a few weeks/months later when they do see an effect, they come back and say: "you know what, you guys were right - and we'd now like to take it further." Fingers-crossed this happens for you. :-)
Hello Brooke..... you just swim. soon you will get new clients.SEO is an ocean, you may loose one fish!! but you have a lot to gain..
Brooke great piece, drawing conclusions, learning and overcoming the past mistakes is the best way to learn.
not sure who "cast the first stone" we all have made, are making and will make mistakes.
Really cool little post, and it's always interesting to see what it's like to come in freshly. It's changed a lot in recent years, and if you are coming in as a "n00b" I feel it's much harder than it ever used to be. Keep on plugging away, you've got through the climb up the hill and now you can start enjoying the view!
Penguin is about 2.0 units Webrevolve - and you're right, the place is kept up to you to decide when there is no guarantee. Honest ("If you can not be here," which is obvious), but I can think of to ensure that the client is encouraged, and will work hard to get into office for clients who need something which is difficult, I found that guarantee their investment is profitable.
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Refreshing perspective and tone - I think we all still have similar struggles that we did as when we started SEO, only less technical questions as we progress. Killing it with the J.K. Rowling quote as well
Failure teaches us a lot even we put more effort and care after facing failure. SEO needs time to get desired results and many times people don't wait as much who know nothing about its strategies but its the true fact that SEO gives long term benefits.
Hey HappyBrooke, I read your last post which you gave me some guide about how SEO beginners suffer in this field but frankly say that now you are not beginner. You are specialist and you got the plenty SEO knowledge. I am also scare when I think that If I do this or that then in return what happen whether I fail or Pass that's why sometime I don't take risk in few things but things goes on.
Neat desk :)
so innovative things you described here, i love your ideas here, slow and stedy wins the race. Really some time i get frustrate in this field but when i read this completely i got very positive attitude.Thank you so much ,love this
I've heard a quote before that goes something like "You learn much more from your failures than you do from your successes". Like anything in life, the same virtue holds true with SEO. If something didn't work the first time around take a step back, understand why it didn't work, then re-attack with a better strategy!
FAIL FASTER!!!!
thanku very much for sharing good article.
I like your post..I worked Seo some website ,but google ranking is very poor,please suggest me
what is the new google algorithm and google panda..how to work this google algorithm.
I biggest successes have came from the biggest failures!
Great post, although I think failing at most things in life will make you better at whatever it is that you've attempted. Nevertheless, with SEO changing all the time, we're bound to fail at some point, which is what makes your article so relate-able. Great work!
Thank you for this lovely article!
Great perspective from someone new to the industry. You should think about collecting these posts and use them as training materials, for those new to the industry.
Thanks for sharing- very well written.
Great post Brooke, dealing with failure is a big part of SEO and I know a lot of people who simply could not be an SEO due to them not being able to deal with failure. I started my first fulltime job as an SEO nearly a year ago now and I'm still dealing with the frustration of Google's constant changes - Also, you were apart of Penguin 2.0! That was a BIG change :)
Brooke Great post, Great tips and Thanks for the share! There a quote By W.C. Fields - "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again"
It is important to clearly articulate to your clients that in SEO, “slow and steady wins the race.”
Sometimes, even if you reiterate that on every phone call and in every email, they just don't get it (or just can't afford to wait). I tell prospects during the sales cycle that SEO is a long term process and they can't expect to see amazing results in just a few short weeks. I wonder if they think I am just kidding?!
People want to believe that they'll be the exception to the rule... or maybe they hear the long time frame expected for results to surface, and just tune it out? Maybe it's important to help clients understand the benefits of SEO before and beyond simply achieving top rankings and traffic from it. Every step of the way - from great on-page content, to a site that ranks better and can be indexed and crawled better by Google, to outreach in your client's community and earning links from relevant, trusted sources - can still pay off in creating connections and improving visibility. Even if they're not yet #1 for the search terms you've selected (they could be ranking for important long-tail keywords, and that's just not a part of the report you send out).
i like your style of writing , really interesting ,,,great post :) and thanks for sharing some tips with us
Getting to know the client, their services, their target market is the first step in developing a marketing strategy. I have done it again and again and when you do that the client is overwhelmed by the degree of interest you show in their services/target market etc. They start thinking that you are genuinely interested in making the right strategy for them. It has worked for me several times. Good luck to you.
Hi Brooke, First My hat's off to you and thanks for sharing the things at MOZ :) . anytime try to be a better SEO... always “just keep swimming in SEO sea” one day you will become a SEO Professional with huge knowledge.
Cheers!
Pankaj Giri
@Brooke: One thing I am sure about is high emotional quotient of the content you write. :)
Revisited all emotions while going through the post.
Completely agreed with danatanseo statement and I personally coming from this things too. In addition I just wanted to give little emotional touch, which will make you fell better :)
"Your past mistakes are meant to guide you...not define you..!"
Thank you!
Well said. Failures will surely teach us a good lesson. Even Einstien had thousands of failures but only because of his constant effort he succeeded at last. :)
regards,
jenefer, seo analyst @ Zuan Education
Brooke@
after Google Updates, this phase has been experienced by almost every SEO experts. While reading your points, i was dreaming that Oh its me who has experienced the same things. But i appreciate you for pointing out the things which really matters in current scenario of ups and downs of SEO Algorithm. Right now we must work on Client Management and we must get their trust to keep them with us and you have mentioned all these thing very beautifully.
Interesting article giving a feel of courage after reading it... Great emotional outcome. Keep trying :)
cheers... ;)
How can you make a business sound sexy were u have no idea what they are doing really - and they dont give answers to that questions. You read it - and u think - ok I dont have small / tiny idea what that could be. I Google it - and google also dont has a tiny idea. I think they do noting, but it sounds not like nothing..
I have some of those clients - they also cant tell me keywords or something, that is strange - not that much clients but 2 or 3 i guess :)
The takeaway for me was write about your failures - everyone seems to have them and we like it that we're not alone.
Thanks for the laughs and the actionable tips. I agree with the others above, you've graduated way beyond newbie!
...oh, and you're spot on about having a good relationship with a client. It makes a massive difference so always go the extra mile to maintain regular contact.
After reading this, I had to go back and read your first article. Love the writing style! Very informative stuff, Brooke. Makes me feel a lot better about my struggles and failures. 95% of the articles on SEO are so authoritative and definitive that it makes me feel silly for being confused at times. This is really refreshing and is something that I really relate to. Thanks for this!
Thanks for just being honest about the ups and downs Brooke. I especially agree that the client communication is incredibly important. We continue to have to encourage our clients and help them see clearly what is happening and how to really interpret the data. Never dull, even for us smaller shops.
thanks for article you are absolutely right! I just got frustrated today after seeing my homepage away from the second page, disappeared somewhere i dont know.. it is veery frustrating.. but, ways to do better :) ps do you think changing a title, and then changing it back the next day, plus adding 1 or 2 keywords, can do that much mess that the home is not ranking anymore for that keyword (at least for the top 100 positions)? :(
Nick Stagg from Lemonpromotions brought up a great question in the comments on my first post: “How do you make a plumber sound sexy?”
^^ That just gave me a terrible idea for anyone to suggest to their plumber client (if they want to lose them as a client)... Plumbers who go out to their customers wearing nothing but skintight shorts, their work boots and tool belts. Would get some PR and links, could even do a calendar. I fear they would lose customers if they look like any plumbers I know though, and possibly get arrested.
I'll get my coat.
Your idea would result in a... different... kind of plumbing business, for sure! But hey, if there's a niche for it... "Could even do a calendar" - hilarious. Now THAT's creativity :)
What's in a name? I recently employed a plumber because her company is called Stopcocks! I just had to do it when I saw the name & am glad that I did - good service, etc. I employed a tree surgeon because his company name was 'The Tree Amigos' (there were in fact three guys working)...
I really love your post because I feel so identified with you... You show the challenges and experiences of newbies (for not so long time, I'm sure) in a funny way so all of us can enjoy bringing back memories of our own.
Thanks for being so happy and funny. We need your stories.
Thanks for the update, Brooke. I remember reading your first blog post and was impressed!
A couple of points though;
"In my first four months on the job as an SEO, I’ve not experienced a major earth-shifting Google algorithm update (yet)" - Penguin 2.0?
"I played cheerleader on every phone call and email, promising that the rankings for their brand-new, beautiful site were going to improve." - You can never guarantee anything in search. You can be confident that ranks will improve but you can't promise it. Remember, you're at the mercy of Google. Always be upfront and completely honest with a client throughout.
Good point about Penguin 2.0, Webrevolve - and you're right, there are no guarantees when the rankings are left up to Google to decide. I'm finding that being honest (saying "you might not rank") but encouraging the client that I am confident that they CAN rank, and that I will work hard to get them to rank, is a hard sell for clients who need some kind of guarantee that their investment will pay off.
Thx for sharing this you correct there are always pros and cons as I remember that JC penny site penalize but they had changed their strategy and got again good results.
I think SEO Is not everything, but all website is Need SEO :D
Yes right but the point is most of the people even in USA/UK are not aware of SEO.Business owners when we explain the keyword ranking,giving them targeting traffic and than will bringing sales for them looks nice.When we even ask them for best keywords they say this whole thing is tyring.
We need to create an awareness program for them.If SEO business grows we all shall grow.
Relating to this post I just want to say that we admit failure most of the time but we do not look at why most of the time.If we look at this why and find answers surely the situation for us is far more good in future.